Comments Off on Playful guerrilla group unleashes 50 swings across San Francisco

A guerrilla group in San Francisco has unleashed a bunch of swings across the city. Swing Bomb SF installed more than 50 sneaky swings in many undisclosed locations, delighting residents and instilling a much-needed sense of playfulness. Sadly, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department wants to take them down. They just installed 50 swings all over the city to inspire folks to go out and play! We even made the news! #swingbombsf #sanfrancisco Repost: @dianaleebee A post shared by Swing Bomb SF (@swingbombsf) on Feb 21, 2018 at 5:14pm PST Swing Bomb SF swept in with the goal of transforming the city into a pop-up playground . They’ve spoken anonymously to news outlets, and told SF Weekly , “We decided to create a present for the city, where it would wake up one morning and have a moment of surprise.” They installed over 50 swings around the city; the tops are hand-painted and underneath the words #SwingBombSF and a number tell people just which swing they’re playing on. Related: Hundreds of colorful swings transform a busy street in Luxembourg The anonymous crew told SF Weekly they wanted to install the swings in diverse locations; the Tenderloin and Lombard Street are a couple examples. SF Weekly reported Swing Bomb SF had engineers on the team to ensure the structural integrity of the trees for the swings. “I have spent the last day and a half feeling like I could burst into happy tears at any given moment. I am learning how awesome independent feels and I am so lucky that the people in my life encourage that in me. ?????? #Repost @platinum_runner #sanfrancisco #lombardstreet #tourist #vacation #independentwoman #freedomtour #love #happiness #adventure #californiadreaming #swingbombsf @swingbombsf A post shared by Swing Bomb SF (@swingbombsf) on Feb 22, 2018 at 9:11pm PST The SF Rec & Parks isn’t so sure. Operations manager Dennis Kern told ABC 7 , “They did not come to us for us to take a look at what they wanted to do, so that we can ascertain that this is safe.” He said without a permit, the department will have to take swings down. But Swing Bomb SF purposefully didn’t disclose the location of all the swings; they told ABC 7 it was “to create that element of surprise and joy” but it also means the Recreation and Parks Department has to find the swings before they can remove them. "We don't stop playing because we grow old…we grow old because we stop playing." #swingbombsf @swingbombsf Photo via #sambrock #sanfrancisco A post shared by Swing Bomb SF (@swingbombsf) on Feb 22, 2018 at 10:51am PST People stumbling across the swings in the city have posted gleeful pictures to Instagram. Swing Bomb SF told SF Weekly of the city, “It really nurtures this inner child, it’s a very playful community. We wanted to play into that, and make the concept of S.F. being an adult playground into a reality.” You can check out more pictures on Swing Bomb SF’s Instagram here . + Swing Bomb SF Via SF Weekly and ABC 7 Image via Depositphotos

Comments Off on 3 stacked shipping containers create a diving tower in Denmark

Sweco Architects just transformed an old ferry port in Denmark into a fantastic water recreation spot. To keep the Water Sports Center Halsskov green, the architects recycled “as many materials as possible from the former port, either directly or through upcycling .” Perhaps the most distinctive element of the sports center is a jumping tower comprised of three stacked, bright yellow shipping containers . People can jump off a shipping container diving tower into the waves at the Water Sports Center Halsskov at heights of around 13, 26, and 36 feet. The stacked containers are rotated “to generate an interesting interaction between activity, shadows, and volumes,” according to Sweco Architects . Related: Abandoned Torpedo Station Transformed Into the Coolest Water Sports Venue in the Baltic Sea The shipping container diving tower isn’t the only fun visitors can have at the Water Sports Center Halsskov. People don’t have to jump in to get wet; they can also access the water via ramps, ladders, and floating platforms. There are three beach volleyball courts, trampolines, an outdoor swimming pool , and a climbing wall , according to the firm. Facility buildings, also comprised of containers, offer bathrooms and changing rooms, and they’re covered with heat-treated wood from sustainable forests for easy maintenance. LED lighting is present throughout the site to minimize energy consumption. The project “emphasizes the special raw character of the site,” according to Sweco Architects. They exposed concrete piers and preserved pieces of bulwarks and harbor fittings. They said in their design statement that benches and boundaries “consist of the former bulwarks from the ferry port.” The Water Sports Center Halsskov was completed in 2017. + Sweco Architects + Water Sports Center Halsskov by Sweco Architects Images courtesy of Mads Fredrik/Sweco Architects and Mie Marie Reindahl Clausen/Sweco Architects

Comments Off on California’s "Butt Lady picks up 1,000,000 littered cigarette butts in 3.5 years

Cigarette butts account for an estimated 1.69 billion pounds of trash produced worldwide annually, a good number of which never even find their way into proper trash receptacles. Instead, most of them are ingested by aquatic creatures, wildlife, and pets, or simply left to languish in streets everywhere as litter. Sick and tired of seeing her town of Auburn, California marred by the toxic trash , resident Sally Dawly decided that she would make it her aim to pick up every stray butt she encountered—and keep count while at it. Incredibly, after 3.5 years, Dawly has collected over one million thoughtlessly discarded cigarette butts. “I got tired of going on my walks and seeing cigarette butts everywhere,” Dawly told her local news station. “I’m just overwhelmed and shocked that I had to pick up this many. I keep track on a daily basis of how many I pick up and I just keep going.” Related: This startup is training crows to throw away cigarette butt litter To keep count, Dawly uses a clicker. In her tackle, she also carries a broom, a pair of tongs, and a dustpan, all of which are put to good use daily. “I’ve had days where I’ve picked up 3,000 butts, in one day,” she says, “and it’s like, come on people. Don’t throw your butts, better yet, stop smoking.” The anti-littering activist picked up her first butt in October, 2014, and on Valentine’s Day , she hit her historic milestone of 1 million cigarette butts. But she has no plans on stopping there and has already set a new goal to collect 2 million cigarette butts. Her story has also inspired countless others to join the effort to keep streets butt-free. In Auburn, cigarette receptacles have been installed outside bars and around the city, and locals consider her a bit of a local hero. As she approached 1 million butts, a number came out to cheer her on. They are also the ones who lovingly bestowed the name “Butt Lady” upon her. Via Oddity Central Lead image via Deposit Photos , others screencaps via CBS news

Comments Off on Beautiful eco-friendly living room pops up in downtown Kenmore

A “symbolic living room” with a sustainable approach has sprung up in the heart of downtown Kenmore, Washington. Opened last year, the Kenmore Town Square shows how investment in public spaces can transform a town’s reputation and improve livability. Graham Baba Architects designed the Town Square’s focal point, the $4.5 million Hangar building, which also meets the 2030 Challenge that advocates for carbon-neutral buildings. Located a few miles north of Seattle , Kenmore is shedding its image of suburban sprawl for one that embraces greater livability and pedestrian access in its downtown core. Created as part of an ambitious downtown redevelopment plan, the 24,000-square-foot Town Square and the Hangar inject vibrancy to the city core, attracting residents and visitors with diverse programming as well as active and passive spaces. Hewitt Landscape Architects served as the prime consultant and project landscape architect. The addition of the pavilion -like Hangar promotes year-round and all-weather enjoyment of the Town Square and opens up to the surroundings via a 24-foot-wide by 16-foot-tall bi-fold window wall. Wrapped in structural insulated panels , the building is built of durable and low-maintenance materials from its steel structural beams and columns to a standing seam metal roof. A deep roof overhang shields visitors from the sun and rain. Related: Chophouse Row mixes modern and vintage in a trendy Seattle pedestrian haven The Hangar interior features a series of flexible assembly spaces that can be rearranged with partitions. The polished concrete floor is installed with radiant floor heating and, in addition to operable window walls and large fans, provide a comfortable indoor temperature year-round. The Hangar also meets the 2030 Challenge based on the Total Project Energy Use Index (EUI) for when the project was designed (2015) and achieves a 79% reduction in CO2 emissions as compared to the typical U.S. building of the same type and size. + Graham Baba Architects Images by Andrew Pogue

Comments Off on Adorable Brick Habitats Are Mini Homes for Birds and Squirrels

When we spotted these adorable Brick Habitats at this year’s London Design Festival , we thought they looked awfully familiar. Upon further investigation it turns out we were right – we had see them before but at the time, they were just a glimmer in designer Chooi-leng Tan’s eye (or computer, rather).